Why did you choose diesel OR steam?

[Anonymous]

Ah the nostalgia....
the pollution, the grime, the social unrest of a society facing hitherto unimagined technological bounds, unbridled robber barons exploiting freemarket capitalism to its fullest, corrupt politicians cashing in on and manipulating the construction boom, labour unions growing out of the desperate need of workers to assert their rights in the face of police guns and hired thugs....

That's why we chose steam! [}:)][:I][}:)]

That and for the early steam period, the equipment is really short and you can model a lot more in a small space. And its cute. [:X][:X][:X]

Cheers,
Maureen

[Virginian]

When I was very young, I fell in love with the sight, sound, and smell of the N&W and VGN steam engines. I model with them as a way to keep a little bit of that long ago time alive. As I got older I came to appreciate the N&W's magnificent machinery even more. How the men in little old Roanoke could have had three main locomotive types, and every one of them was right at the top in performance characteristics with similar engines from all over the land, and regardless of the builder.
My great grandaddy helped build the Virginian, so I have a nostalgic attraction there.
I do have six diesels, 2 VGN Trainmasters, 2 VGN H16-44's, and 2 C&O cab units. I didn't have any and figured maybe I was missing something, so I got them. I like them, but they just don't stir my soul like steam engines.
I can just look at a model of an N&W 'J' and close my eyes, and hear it just coming into range on a warm summer's eve. Pounding towards Norfolk on the racetrack at 80 per, that faint rapid stacatto of exhaust fading in and out, and that booming whistle, rendered soft by distance. More than the pounding Y's with towering exhaust in the Shennandoah, or the downright dramatic assault on Blue Ridge by a Y6b heading a Class A, or a streamlined K coming down from Richmond in quite a hurry, that one vision will ever be the strongest. Those indeed were the days for anyone who loves trains.
The late '60's were the time for car lovers. There was nothing like the moan of three dueces at full throttle on a warm spring evening; the siren song of the Goat. Oh yeah!

[selector]

Like the theme seems to be going, I grew up at the tail end of steam, and gsetter, above, said it well. If you've ever stood trackside while any steam engine powered past, your heart was in your mouth...big time. Who needed a summer midway?

I like the hisses and clanks, and the valve gear is art in motion; I like propellar-driven aircraft for the same reason- I like to see and hear metal in motion. Jets and diesels seem to lack the 'golly' factor, but I can certainly appreciate that, if chugging, throbbing diesels is what you grew up with, that is what gets your heart all a flutter. And, I can understand that steam models are more expensive and harder to keep running...er, just like the real thing!

[trolleyboy]

I was born after the last of the fires dropped,but I combo model.Modern deisels don't have the same sole or rugged good looks of the first generation machines I love.I also model electric traction equipment which by it's time frame one has to be a transition era modeller. As most of the street railways had gone by the mid fifties.This allows me the best of all wolds first gen diesels which I love. Some last hold out steam finishing out their time ,and some street railway equipment to feed the passenger trains and switch some of the downtown industries. Isn't mrring grand? Rob

[jcopilot]

I've had 2 layouts. The first was operated with diesels because they were less expensive and more reliable than the steamers back then. My layout was also powered with DC blocks, lots of wiring and control panels and plug-ins.
Then I had a house fire in 2001. Fortunately, the fire didn't get into the train room, but the soot/smoke/heat did. Lots of melted plastic and soot on everything. I was able to save the benchwork which I painted with Kilz to cover the smoke smell.
When I thought about rebuilding the layout, I couldn't face all the wiring again so that meant DCC. Then I thought about trying to shoehorn converters and speakers into narrow diesel bodies - oh no! I don't have the patience.
So that led me to steam, which I always liked anyway and now the steamers are much more detailed and run much better.
I like steam, wheels, rods, huffing and chuffing and DCC/sound is much easier. Remember, steam engines have a tender behind.

[AggroJones]

-Steam locomotives seem very much like animals, which I love.
-Steam locomotives have lovely exterior action to watch.
-Steam locomotives have their own individual personalities.
-Steam locomotives breath fire.
-Steam locomotives just plain out class diesels in spirit and carisma.

I have no need to ramble on. I keeps it short. [:p]

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Maureen

Ah the nostalgia....
the pollution, the grime, the social unrest of a society facing hitherto unimagined technological bounds, unbridled robber barons exploiting freemarket capitalism to its fullest, corrupt politicians cashing in on and manipulating the construction boom, labour unions growing out of the desperate need of workers to assert their rights in the face of police guns and hired thugs....

You're modelling Penn Central and the 1970s?

[twhite]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Maureen

Ah the nostalgia....
the pollution, the grime, the social unrest of a society facing hitherto unimagined technological bounds, unbridled robber barons exploiting freemarket capitalism to its fullest, corrupt politicians cashing in on and manipulating the construction boom, labour unions growing out of the desperate need of workers to assert their rights in the face of police guns and hired thugs....

That's why we chose steam! [}:)][:I][}:)]

That and for the early steam period, the equipment is really short and you can model a lot more in a small space. And its cute. [:X][:X][:X]

Cheers,
Maureen

Hats off, Maureen, what a GREAT answer!!! You remind me of another Maureen, a favorite of mine, a redhead from Ireland that could act the pants off of almost any other screen star in Hollywood.
[bow][bow][bow]
Tom

[tstage]

Tom

Are you talkin' about Maureen O'hara?

Did you know that Maureen O'hara had a cousin, who, when she came over, used to hang around the back of the house a lot? They used to call her Patti O'furniture. [(-D][(-D][(-D]

(Hmmm. Did I just hear the irrelevency alarm go off?)

Tom

[Anonymous]

I am into STEAM as well--I am 62 so I guess that puts me in the Old enough class.

I may also include some War Bonnet Diesels because I like the look of them as well. But what I really likwe is the look of a powerful Steam driven locamotive pulling a lnog string of either passenger cars or freight cars.

preferably, going into or coming out of a tunnel
[:D]

[Anonymous]

I have predominantly deisels and one time considered going only with deisels. The reason being that in NScale, it was hard to find a good steam engine. I used to get so FRUSTRATED. I used to wonder if it was just me. Then I watched the video on the two brothers, Reid brothers I think, who model Nscale. They mentioned the difficulty with getting unmodified N steamers to run well consistently. That video is several years old now so it is out of date. However, it seems that beginning with the Kato Mikado, I started to find some good Nscale steamers. Now, the steam engines are much more enjoyable to watch. I wasn't born until the 1960s so I have quite a fondness for deisels.

[aloco]

I chose the types of locomotives I remember seeing when I was a kid. I was born too late to see any steam, so I'm a diesel modeler.

[MisterBeasley]

I was born in Brooklyn and raised in the burbs of Long Island, New York. The LIRR, the "Route of the Dashing Commuter," was all electric, but my real love is the subway. I'll be modelling a subway, and probably adding a PCC car later on. The freight ops will be diesel, and I've got "excursion" passenger train plans powered by steam.

[Anonymous]

I model steam- not because it is what I remember as I am more of a first generation era baby-but because it moves and breathes and seems alive. Especially since the advent of sound decoders and reliable quality steam in plastic there has been no other choice for me although a few FM C-Liners sneak on occasionally.

[twhite]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

Tom

Are you talkin' about Maureen O'hara?

Did you know that Maureen O'hara had a cousin, who, when she came over, used to hang around the back of the house a lot? They used to call her Patti O'furniture. [(-D][(-D][(-D]

(Hmmm. Did I just hear the irrelevency alarm go off?)

Tom

Tom--OUCH!!!![:0] Actually, Ms. O'Hara lives in Arizona, so next time I get on her website I'll ask her if her cousin's still visiting. Then I'll duck!!
Tom [^]

[aussiesteve]

Mainline steam stopped in Victoria in 1967 and a little later in some other states so I can just recall seeing steamies sitting around the turntable at the nearest loco depot when I was a kid. I model diesels as they are readily available in my chosen prototype but steam will make an appearance hauling excusion trains later[:D]

[THayman]

I never saw the steam engines run as a kid, and I've grown up around nothing but diesel power. Just made sense to model what I see all the time. Just something about third generation diesels especially that I love. I don't know really what it is. Still have a soft spot for steam though. Recently decided to add a steam tourist line, just so I had a chance to run them on occassion.

[underworld]

I chose both!!! And electric....I like them all!

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]